Tabulating machine



March 17, 1936. W. w. LASKER 2,034,193

TABULATING MACHINE Filed NOV. 20, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR A'TTGPNEY N. N. LASKER Filed Nov. 20, 193] C6 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 A m AV ALQ/M WZZZW BY K/ ZJd JM i .RTTORNEY March 19361 w, w LASKER TABULATING MACHINE s $heets 5 3 Filed Nov. 20 1951 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 PATENT OFFICE TABULATING MACHINE William W. Lasker, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc.; New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 20, 1931, Serial No. 576,253

12 Claims.

My invention relates to listing accounting machines and more particularly to means for controlling the printing and non-printing of numbers by the machine. Specifically stated the invention comprises means for preventing the printing of complementary numbers in a machine which subtracts by adding complements; or preventing the printing of all items so that the machine prints only totals; the mechanism being so designed that it can be thrown out of action if desired so that all numbers may be printed.

In some accounting machines subtraction is effected by the adding of the complements of the numbers to be subtracted. As these complements are not readily interpreted when printed it may be desired to prevent them from being printed on the paper. In some instances also it is advantageous to prevent the printing of all items so that only totals are printed. The present invention comprises a device settable to three positions in one of which, positive items will be printed but complements will not be printed, in another of which totals only will be printed and in another of which all items and totals will be printed.

This mechanism is especially useful in a card controlled tabulator and the invention is shown applied to such a machine where it controls the printing automatically according to the setting of the apparatus.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be fully set forth herein and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings an instance of the invention is shown as applied to the well known Powers tabulator. In said drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a front to rear, vertical section looking toward the left of a Powers tabulator having the invention applied thereto and Fig. 2 is a similar view on a larger scale of the head of the machine but looking toward the 7 right.

Fig. 3 is an'enlarged perspective view of the type hammer mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a similar view in the nature of a downward continuation of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the manually settable printing control key with explanatory legend.

The well known Powers tabulator which has been on the market for two decades comprises an upper or computing head section I including a plurality of computing units, an interpreter or connecting section 2 including any one of a set of interpreter boxes, and a lower or base section 3. The head comprises the usual platen 4, type sectors 5 and spring and pin-in-slot connected adding sectors 6 both of which are pivoted on a cross shaft 1. The type sectors are operated in one direction by the tension of individual springs i l and they are restored to normal position by a universal bail comprising a cross rod 12 and arms 53 pivoted on the shaft 1 and operated by the cam plate l4 connected by a link [5 with the usual fan shaped member l6 connected to move with the main operating rock shaft ll.

Each unit of the computing mechanism includes a set of accumulator wheels l8 (Fig. 2) mounted on a shaft 20 carried by pivoted arms 2 l The accumulator wheels are moved into and out of mesh with the actuating racks E by means including a pair of connected cam rocking plates 23 mounted on a rock shaft 24 and having inclined cam slots which embrace the ends of the shaft 26. Plates 23- are rocked by a link or pitman 25 having an upper notch 26 and a lower notch 2? for optional engagement with pins on the ends of rocking lever 28 which lever is operated through well known centralized wiper devices (not shown) by the fan it. The pitman 25 is normally held in its upper adding position by a link 39 pivoted to an arm 3i on the total shaft 32 of the machine. The connection between pitman 25 and arm 3i comprises the link 30, its pin-in-slot connection and the approximately parallel tension spring 34. The construction is such that when the total shaft 32 is rocked counter-clockwise as shown in Fig. 2, the pitman 25 will be drawn to a lower position so that spring 34 will cause notch 2'! to engage the lower pin on arm 28 when the machine is set for taking a total.

The sectors 5 and 6 are controlled by stop mechanism'one form of which comprises a stop basket or frame 35 having therein a series of upwardly projecting stop pins 36 and a normally active zero stop shutter 31 cooperating with a lug 38 projecting downward from the actuator gear sector 6. The zero stop shutter 31 comprises a plate extending along one side of the denominational series of significant digit stops 36, and said plate is pivoted at its lower edge and is pressed by a spring 40 into the path of the lug 38. When any stop pin 36 is pushed upward into the path of the lug 38, a swelling thereon cams the stop 31 aside thus freeing the sector from the control of the zero stop. Means including a cam block (not shown) are also provided controlled by the total shaft 32 for releasing all of the zero stops 3'! so that the sectors are controlled by the accumulator wheels l8. Each of said wheels has formed thereon the usual transfer tooth 4| whichcooperates with the transfer dog or stop-hook 42 which normally arrests a pin 43 projecting from the actuating rack 6; and this dog 42 in total-taking operations also arrests the accumulator wheels in zero position.

The hammer section of the machine comprises in each computing unit a set of spring urged hammers 44 pivoted on a collared spacing crossrod 45 and each is urged by its spring 46 to strike against that one of the sector carried types 4'! which is in printing position. The hammers are normally held in their retracted or ineffective positions by a series of spring held latches 48 one for each hammer engaging a hook or projection 50 on the corresponding hammer 44. The means for controlling the hammers includes the usual trip bars 52 each pivoted to one of the latches 48 and guided at its rear end in a comb plate 53. Each of these trip bars rests at its rear end on a lever 54 pivoted on a collared spacing cross rod 55 and at its free end bearing against the edge of the type sector 5. Each type sector has an incline or cam 56 which when the sector moves to bring the zero type to printing position swings the lever 54 and raises the rear end of the trip bar 52.

The hammers and the trip bars 52-are controlled in part by a universal bail 51 pivoted on the rod 45 and having an arm connected by a link 60 through a spring and pin-in-slot connection with the link I5. The construction is such that in the normal position of the parts as shown in the drawings the link 60 holds the bail 57 in the position shown in Fig. 2 where it engages fingers 63 of the hammers 44 and holds said hammers in their retracted positions. The main shaft I! is rocked clockwise as seen in Fig. 2 during the operation of the machine and draws forward the link l5, the link 60 connected thereto rocks the bail 51 downwardly and forwardly until it strikes the trip bars 52 which may have been raised (if any) by the operation of the corresponding type sectors on levers 54. These trip bars are provided with the usual cross-over finger devices so that when one of them is raised it will raise all those to the right of it and thereby cause the printing of the necessary zeros. When the bail 51 reaches the extreme of its forward motion it will strike such of the trip bars 52 as have been elevated, release the latches 48,

and allow the hammers to print. If desired, se- 7 lected ones, or all of the trip bars 52 may be provided with optionally settable cross-overs so that only a predetermined number of trip bars to the right will be raised.

The connecting sE:tion*2 (Fig. 1) includes one of a set of changeable connection boxes or multiple translators 64 having in it the interpreter wires 65 which control the stops 36.

The base of the machine is here shown constructed substantially as described in the patent to W. W. Lasker No. 1,376,555 dated May 3, 1921. The particular base illustrated contains the usual motor driven main cam shaft 86 (Fig. -1) which is connected in any desired manner (not shown) to a short rotary shaft 6! in the connecting sec- .the stack of pregrouped cards 14 from which said cards are fed, one by one, by the reciprocating picker i5 controlled by lever'76 which lever is oscil ated by a cam controlled spring pressed slide bar I1 and a cam 8|] on shaft 66. The picker feeds the cards to feed rollers 8| which feed them into a sensing chamber 82 where they are momentarily held by a 'cardstop and are read by sensing pins 83 mounted in a cam controlled reciprocating pin box 84 which is moved up and down by means including follower rollers 85 and a pair of cams 86 on the shaft 66. The card stop is mounted on the forward edge of the box 84. After the sensing operation the cards are fed by revolving rollers (not shown) into the. control of ejecting feed rolls 8! which transfer them to a suitable receptacle.

Mounted on shaft 66 is a cam for oscillating the bell crank 90 once for each rotation of said shaft.' Pivotally mounted on the upper end of said bell crank is a walking beam 9| which car- 'ries a stud 92 which is normally out of the path of a corresponding stud 89 on the bell crank 93 but will cooperate therewith under control of a total card. Bell crank 93 and arm 94 are fixed totheir supporting shaft and the latter is connected by a long link 95 to an arm fast to the total shaft 32 so that the series of connected members are moved in unison when stud 92 cooperates with the stud 39 on bell crank 93. When bell crank 93 is rocked by the walking beam 9| it, will be latched in operated or shifted position by the spring pressed latch 96. A suitably located projection 91 trips the latch 96 at about the completion of an operation of the computing units to restore the total shaft mechanism to normal position. The rearward end of the walking beam 9| is slidably connected to a total sensing pin 98 which travels with the sensing box 84 as do the above described sensing pins. When the pin 98 finds a control perforation in a total card the walking beam 9| is rocked sufiiciently to position its stud 92 in the path of the stud 89 on bell crank 93 so that bell crank 90 will set the total mechanism through the operation of link 95 and lock it in set position.

It is desirable to eliminate the printing of numbers which are introduced into a computing unit as complements. As is well known a complemental item is represented by nines in the highest denominational orders. For the purpose of eliminating such printing the latch 48 of highest denominational order (Fig. 3) has a forwardly extending arm 5| to which is pivoted a link 58 which is connected by a spring and pin-in-slot connection to an arm of the non-print bail 33 loosely mounted on the shaft 22. Thus when the type carrier of highest order rocks the lever 54, the

interponent or trip bar 52 of highest order is in-' terposed into the path of the universal bail 51. When the bail 57 contacts with member 52, the latch 48 is rocked to release the corresponding hammer 44, but the said latch also, through link 58 and its connection to non-print bail 33, interposes the latter into the path of the hooks or projections 59 thus disabling the printing hammers When a complemental item occurs.

An arm of the non-print bail 33 has pivoted thereto a link 6| which is connected by a pin-inslot connection to a spring pressed plate 62 loosely mounted on a collar on the total shaft 32. Also loosely mounted on the said collar is a plate 18 connected by a spring to a pin on the plate 62 so that the plates 18 and 52 will ordinarily move as a unit. Pivoted at the upper end of the plate 18 is a spring pressed manipulative setting device H) which may have any one of three difierent positions which are determined by the engagement of any one of the notches identified as l, 2 and. 3 over the edge of a portion 8 of the case of the machine. An arm 88 is attached to the total shaft 32 by means 01 a friction clamp shown conventionally as a grooved block attached to the arm 88 by means of screws with the total shaft 32 interposed. The construction and arrangement is such that when the slot l is astride member 8, the plates 18 and 62 are rocked sufiiciently to draw the link 6| downwardly far enough to set the universal bail 33 in a position to disable the printing hammers 44 so that neither items nor their complements will be printed during an operation of the machine. When the total shaft 32 is rocked in a counter clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 4, the arm 88 contacts with the pin 99 rigid with the link iii to rock the non-print bail to inefiective position so that totals will be printed. It will be noted that plate 18 is held against motion by the member It] so that when arm 88 elevates link 8|, the plate 62 may be rocked relative to plate 18 by virtue of the spring connection between the plates.

When the manipulative member 10 is in the position where the notch 2 is astride member 8, the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that all quantities such as positive items and totals which do not require the release of the highest order printing hammer will be printed. If, however, a negative item should be recorded on the accumulator wheels and the highest order printing hammer selected, the universal bail 51 will rock the non-print bail 33 into the path of the hammers 44 by the cooperation of members 52, 48, 5i and 58, as hereinbefore described. This operation is possible, regardless of the position of arm l0, due to the pin-in-slot connection between plate 62 and link 8|, which permitsthe movement of arm 6| without a corresponding movement of plate 82. The bail 33 is now in position to prevent the printing of a negative item.

If the number to be printed is a total. the bail 33 is moved toan ineflective position by the rotation of total shaft 32. This movement is efiected by virtue of link 6|, bar 88 and pin 99, so that totals may be printed. This movement has no effect on the connection between the print hammer latch 48 and the non-print bail, due to the pin-in-slot connection between link 58 and bail 33.

When the manipulative member ID is positioned so that the 3 notch is astride member 8, the pin in member 62 is at the upper end of the slot in link 6| so that the non-print ball 33 cannot be rocked intoefiective position and in the event that the highest order interponent or trip bar 52 is interposed into the path of bail 51, the spring connection between members 58 and 33 will be merely extended thus insuring the printing of items irrespective of their character and also the printing of totals.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the manipulative device III which graphically indicates the character of the printing for .the different adjustments of said member I 0. Thus when notch l is astride 8, totals only will be printed. When notch 2 is astride 8, positive items and totals will be printed, but complemental items will not be printed and when notch 3 is astride 8, all items irrespective of their complemental character and totals will be printed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described the combination of a series of difierentially adjustable type carriers; normally restrained printing hammers for said type carriers, one hammer for each type carrier; means for releasing each of said hammers under the control of its individual type carrier; and means controlled by the releasing means for one of said hammers to disable all the said hammers.

. 2. In a machine of the class described the combination of a series of differentially adjustable type carriers; normally restrained printing hammers for said type carriers, one hammer for each type carrier; means for releasing each of said hammers'under the control of its individual type carrier including a movable bail, latches individual to said hammers and interponents between said bail and latches, rendered effective by said type carriers; and means controlled by the releasing means for one of said hammers to disable all the said hammers.

3. In a machine of the class described the combination of a series of differentially adjustable type carriers; normally restrained printing hammers for said type carriers, one hammer for each type carrier; means for releasing each of said hammers under the control of its individual type carrier; and means controlled by the releasing means for one of said hammers to disable all the said hammers including a non-print bail for disabling said hammers and a universal bail operatively connected to the first mentioned bail through a controllable releasing interponent.

4. In a machine of the class described the combination of a series of dififerentially adjustable type carriers; normally restrained printing hammers for said type carriers, one hammer for each type carrier; means for releasing each of said hammers under the control of its individual type carrier; and means controlled by the releasing means for the hammer of highest denominational order to disable the printing action of said hammer and all hammers of inferior denominational orders.

5. In a machine of the class described the combination of a series of differentially adjustable type carriers; normally restrained printing hammers for said type carriers, one hammer for each type carrier; means for releasing each of said hammers under the control of its individual type carrier including a universal releasing bail, latches individual to the hammers and interponents between said bail and latches rendered effective by said type carriers; and means controlled by the releasing means for the hammer of highest denominational order to disable the printing action of said hammer and all hammers of inferior denominational orders.

6. In a machine of the class described the combination of a series of differentially adjustable type carriers; normally restrained printing hammers for said type carriers, one hammer for each type carrier; means for releasing each of said hammers under the control of its individual type carrier; and means controlled by the releasing means for the hammer of highest denominational order to disable the printing action of said hammer and all hammers of inferior denominational orders including a power operated bail for disabling said hammers and a universal bail operatively connected to the first mentioned bail through a releasing interponent.

'7. In a machine of the class described, the, combination of means for handling and sensing record cards, a plurality of adjustable type carriers,

means for adjusting said type carriers according to the data on said cards, means for printing a type of each type carrier, means for accumulating the data recorded by said cards, means for totaling and printing the accumulated data, and

a multi-position lever and link mechanism 00- operating with said printing mechanism adapted in one position to permit printing of totals only,

,, in another position to permit the printing of totals and certain types of sensing indications,

and in still another position to permit the printing of totals and all types of sensing indications.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of data carrying cards,

meansv for handling and sensing said cards, a

plurality of adjustable type carriers, and means for adjusting said carriers in accordance with the data on said cards, means for printing a type totals, means comprising a series of stop members under the control of a sensing mechanism for determining the positioning of said type carriers, impact means including aprinting hammer for printing an appropriate type from said type carrier, latch means for restraining the said impact means until the printing time is reached, printing hammer restoring means, auxiliary means for restraining the impact printing means,

operative at the printing time, and means to actuate the said auxiliary restraining means comprising a link and lever mechanism jointly operated by the type carrying sector and the printing hammer restoring means and a multi-position lever and total shaft mechanism adapted to operate the auxiliary restraining means independently of said link and lever mechanism.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of data printing means, adapted to be controlled by a data carrying record, intercepting mechanism rendered effective by the highest order data printing member adapted to prevent the printing of a number complement, said intercepting mechanism adapted to prevent the printing of normal and complemental data but not totals, and control mechanism cooperating A with said intercepting mechanism to prevent or permit alternatively the printing of complemental data, and to prevent or permit printing of normal data, and to permit the printing of all data by rendering inefiective said intercepting mechanism.

11. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a series of differentially adjustable type carriers, individual print hammers associated therewith, a series of latch members under the control of said type carriers for holding each of said hammers inoperative, and hammer disabling means operatively connected to the latch member for the hammer of highest denominational order for disabling all hammers of inferior denominational orders.

12. In a machine of the type described, the

combination of a series of optionally settable type carriers for printing items and totals, individual print hammers associated therewith, card actuated control members for setting said type car-' riers, intercepting means under the control of said type carriers for rendering said hammers inoperative, a manipulative device, means rendered effective by said device for urging said intercepting means yieldingly into efiective position, and means under control of one of said control mem- V bers for moving said intercepting means into ineffective position.

WILLIAM W. LASKER. 

